Wednesday, June 23, 2010

I have been trying to help our country improve tactical C2 in the Gulf of Mexico region. Now, the schism with Gen. McChrystal extends the need for military C2 to theater level.

I am 70 years old, served in the MO Army National Guard, was an Analyst for the Center for Naval Analyses (CNA), the US Navy's think tank, I was a part of the Ground Combat Section of the Marine Corps Operations Analysis Group (MCOAG). I was the national specialist on Amphibious operations (NWP-22B and LFM-01). I went to Vietnam as a part of my work for MCOAG on the Mine and Booby Trap problem.

I completed the Counter-Insurgency Course for Senior Officers at Quantico.

I have a PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Experimental Elementary Particle Physics. I have experience with Quantum Mechanics and Relativity. The big names in physics in those days were Schwinger, Feynman, Yang, Lee, Gell-mann, and a fellow on the west coast who spelled his name Chew. That Chew was brilliant but never won a Nobel Prize.

I spent 27 years inside the DC beltway. I discovered the Cato Institute while they were in San Francisco. I have worked for CNA, the National Academy of Sciences, the Dept of Army, BDM and TRW which are now a part of Northrop Grumman, Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) all in the DC area and Harris Corporation in Melbourne, FL.

When I was with CNA, I worked mostly for the Marines Corps Group but I did a little bit of nuclear work for a Navy Group.

During the Carter administration, I supported NATO Initiatives and was a major contributor to Measure 6B8. I was the initial Program Manager of BDM’s contract to develop the Technical Interface Design Plan – Test Edition for the GAMO Program. This was the first joint full spectrum tactical command and control program. I also supported the collection and processing of the Joint Operational Information Requirements for the World Wide Military Command and Control System (WWMCCS) Information System (WIS).

The short version is that I have experience with all of our military and naval services including helping develop the Reserve Component Automation System (RCAS) to support Mobilization and Sustainment.

A week or so ago, I started sending out tweets with #milc2 in them for military C2 mostly related to the Gulf. I peaked at 5 followers. I think I'm down to 3 now.

I watch CNN regularly. My home area here in Missouri is strongly Republican. I tend to agree with David Gergen on almost everything.

I was chairman of the Tactical C3 working group in the Military Operations Research Society (MORS). I have tactical, theater, and strategic C2 experience.

The Obama Administration needs assistance with large scale tactical military C2. I think I can communicate with Chu. I am willing to help in whatever ways I can.

Our country needs Colin Powell to serve as an advisor to the President on military command and control matters. I came to this conclusion based only on the need to address the Deepwater Horizon incident (BP Oil Spill) in the Gulf of Mexico. LTG Russel Honore, USA (ret.) makes a lot of sense when he speaks on the situation in the Gulf to CNN.

Our country needs a Military Officer in Obama’s inner circle. Someone of 4 star level in the Army (preferably) or the Air Force needs to be there. General James L. Jones, USMC (retired) was commissioned as a Marine officer. Marines come (and go) under the Secretary of Navy. Our Vice President’s son was a Marine. Adm Thad Allen is US Coast Guard. The US Army needs to be represented.

Friday, June 18, 2010

A little over 40 years ago, my officemate, Maj. James Vincent Sullivan, USMC, informed me that he was an Officer and Gentleman by an act of Congress. “Jay” had returned from Vietnam where he had been in a Force Reconnaissance Company (I think, perhaps the commander of the unit) and was now the US Marine Corps Cost Effectiveness Analysis Officer. “Recon” was about as close to being a SEAL as a Marine could get without actually being one. Jay was ready for Happy Hour when 4:30 rolled around.

Over the years, I learned that Congress approves the commissions of all our Military and Naval Officers. I was somewhat surprised to learn that a Marine Major was commissioned as a Naval Officer and not as a Military Officer. All Military Officers should be US Army officers but Congress created the Air Force in 1947. Currently, the US Army and the US Air Force are acknowledged “military services”. Since the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security, there has been confusion with regard to naval services.

Sometimes the Navy is a military department and sometimes the Navy is a naval service. If you think things are confusing for the Navy, you should try to figure out the Coast Guard. When the Coast Guard is acting as a part of our Armed Forces, they report to the Navy. They become a part of our naval service(s).

A little less than 40 years ago, I was a part of the Systems Group of the US Army Communication-Electronics Computer Application Agency, a Class 2 activity under the Assistant Chief of Staff (Communications-Electronics) of the Department of Army. We were responsible for generating simulated deployments of C-E equipments.

In 1974, I became Program Manager of the contract to develop the Technical Interface Design Plan – Test Edition (TIDP-TE) for the Joint Interoperability Program for Tactical Command and Control Systems Used in Support of Ground and Amphibious Military Operations (Short Title: GAMO). Prior to that, I had been the lead analyst in contractor support in developing the Joint/Combined DT II/OT II Test Plan for the AN/TTC-39(V), the “TRI-TAC” switch. The GAMO and TRI-TAC programs were merged into the JINTACCS Program.

The original GAMO program described 52 “OPFACs”. An OPFAC (Operational Facility) was a generic tactical command and control node. The program goal was to design, test, and implement interoperable interfaces among these OPFACs in a generic Joint Task Force. I personally developed the description for the USAF Tactical Air Control Center (TACC). There were two other TACCs among the 52 OPFACs – a USMC Tactical Air Command Central (TACC) and a USN Tactical Air Control Center (TACC).

Within the USAF TACC, responsibilities were split between the Director of Current Operations and the Director of Current Plans. Things within the next 24 hours were under Current Operations. Things beyond 24 hours were under Current Plans.

I recently checked the current US Code Title 10 – Armed Forces to see how things are now compared to the old days. I memorized most of the current USC 10 – “Repealed.”

Poor Commander-in-Chief President Obama. His advisors are Incident Commander, Admiral Thad Allen, USCG, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, USN, and National Security Advisor, General James L. Jones, USMC (ret). Is there a military officer anywhere in the house?

Thursday, June 17, 2010

The Obama Administration has finally implemented a C2 model for the Gulf Oil Spill. It is the 9/11 Model. There were approximately 3,000 victims in 9/11. This incident involved total destruction of two adjacent buildings.

The Normandy Invasion would be a better model. Even that is too small geographically. There are more than 3,000 people "helping" the Gulf Coast victims.